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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 124 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — for golf
  9. kick — in football
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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