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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
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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: rash · saw · kick · game · hand · fan · wax · stick

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hand — help
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — a series
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wax — to grow
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fan — a supporter

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