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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · staff · wake · temple · object · pitch · hand · wax

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. object — a thing
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hand — in cards
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — help
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. object — to protest
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. object — an aim
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kick — in football
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. temple — a place of worship

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