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

Word bank: wax · kick · mark · leaves · suit · pitch · rest · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — what's left
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — to grow
  16. suit — to fit
  17. kick — in football
  18. rest — a break
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. suit — in cards

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