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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 120 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: hide · wax · snap · chest · foot · deal · kick · charge

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — in control
  5. chest — of your body
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. charge — electricity
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. charge — a price
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kick — in football
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wax — to grow
  23. snap — to click
  24. hide — to keep secret

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