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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.

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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: kid · wax · drill · hand · lie · stick · cabinet · board

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wax — to grow
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — the tool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — to get on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. drill — army training
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kid — child

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