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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 116 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 · lie · kick · mouse · land · object · cue · bark

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. land — a country
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — ground
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. object — to protest
  13. land — to come down
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. object — a thing
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. object — an aim
  21. cue — a signal
  22. kick — in football
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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