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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: hand · object · calf · game · wax · charge · kick · lash

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. game — a match
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. object — to protest
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. charge — in control
  16. hand — in cards
  17. charge — a price
  18. kick — in football
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. object — a thing
  23. hand — help
  24. charge — electricity

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