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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: cabinet · kick · present · club · mate · wax · temple · lean

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. present — the time now
  3. kick — in football
  4. lean — thin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — there
  8. mate — a partner
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. present — a gift
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. club — a group
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. temple — side of the head

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