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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. tear — to rip
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pit — in a race
  13. season — of the year
  14. board — a committee
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wax — to grow
  24. season — to add flavour

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