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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
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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: ball · arm · wax · staff · stick · kick · rash · cabinet

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — in football
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rash — a series
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. arm — part of the body

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