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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: pound · coach · kick · spell · foot · wax · wake · lie

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kick — in football
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spell — letters

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