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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.

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: wax · kick · staff · fan · lie · board · chip · can

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kick — in football
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a committee
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. staff — employees
  24. chip — for betting

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