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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: bank · wax · can · rock · club · kick · content · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. club — a group
  4. content — the amount
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lean — to bend
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rock — music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for golf
  18. content — happy
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — in football
  24. wax — to grow

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