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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.

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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: kick · wax · cabinet · rest · coach · firm · chair · key

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. kick — in football
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — in music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. firm — decided
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — a professorship

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