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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 · rock · chair · fine · lash · wax · capital · arm

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — money
  12. chair — a leader
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — to lash out

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