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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.

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 · stick · hand · wax · fan · mug · cap · spell

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spell — magic
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mug — a face
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — a hat
  20. spell — letters
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wax — in the ear

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