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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · wax · march · ball · racket · snap · staff · chip

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. staff — a stick
  6. snap — to click
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wax — to grow
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chip — to eat
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lean — thin
  17. staff — employees
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chip — for betting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. march — the month

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