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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: kick · lean · key · straw · march · wax · ball · can

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. march — the month
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — in football
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. march — the month
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lean — to bend
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. march — music
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. key — in music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — thin
  24. ball — a great time

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