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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · net · lean · ruler · key · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — for catching
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lean — thin
  14. key — in music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport

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