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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 · pass · kick · saw · roll · hand · lean · mark

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hand — help
  6. kick — in football
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. roll — a list
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. roll — a cake
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pass — a permit

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