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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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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: kick · wax · pit · fall · dip · net · cue · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. kick — in football
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — in a race
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. cue — for pool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. net — in sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. sharp — with an edge

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