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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bore · wax · stick · ruler · bass · kick · racket

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — low music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. content — the amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kick — in football
  20. content — happy
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wax — in the ear

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