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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
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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: game · file · wax · lash · kick · roll · court · band

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. file — a tool
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — wild animals
  7. band — a music group
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. court — of law
  10. wax — to grow
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kick — in football
  13. game — a match
  14. file — a document
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. court — of a king
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. court — for sport
  24. band — a ring

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