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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
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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: key · foot · bat · kick · game · wax · toast · calf

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — a measure
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bat — the animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. toast — bread
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — in music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. game — wild animals
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. key — for a lock

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