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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 116 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: wound · wax · fan · lean · kick · hand · cabinet · pass

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — help
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lean — thin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kick — in football
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hand — in cards

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