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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: ground · rest · lie · net · club · wax · present · kick

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — for golf
  4. present — the time now
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ground — crushed
  7. net — for catching
  8. present — there
  9. ground — a position
  10. rest — a break
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — a gift
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — to recline
  15. club — for dancing
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — the earth
  21. net — after costs
  22. kick — in football
  23. net — in sport
  24. rest — what's left

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