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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: can · kick · last · key · trunk · kid · wave · lash

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. last — final
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. last — to go on
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. last — finally
  10. kick — in football
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. key — for a lock
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. key — in music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — child
  24. key — the most important part

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