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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hand — in cards
  9. kick — in football
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hand — help
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stand — to bear
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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