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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.

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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: wave · stick · field · can · object · wax · kick · cell

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. object — a thing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — in football
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — farmland
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. object — an aim
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. can — to be able to
  21. object — to protest
  22. wax — to grow
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — with your hand

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