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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. staff — employees
  3. content — the amount
  4. rest — a break
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. content — happy
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ground — crushed
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. kick — in football
  21. branch — a division
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bay — a horse colour

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