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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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468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kick — in football
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. race — a contest
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. race — humankind
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — to cool the air

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