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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: hand · wax · bowl · lie · kick · can · squash · key

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — in football
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kick — a thrill

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