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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.

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: fan · club · staff · bark · lie · kick · wax · swing

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. club — a group
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kick — in football
  15. club — for dancing
  16. swing — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — for golf
  19. bark — to shout
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lie — an untruth

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