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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: wax · cold · deal · staff · can · object · stand · kick

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. object — an aim
  5. kick — in football
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cold — not warm
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. can — a tin
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. object — to protest
  21. can — to be able to
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. object — a thing

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