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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
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: kick · bat · wax · last · foot · mug · chip · fan

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chip — for betting
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. last — to go on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bat — in an idiom

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