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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pop — soda
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wax — to grow
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kick — in football
  9. craft — boats
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. kid — child
  12. current — of water
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mug — a cup
  15. current — happening now
  16. mug — a face
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pop — music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. current — electric
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com