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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — child
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rule — government
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. net — for catching
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. net — after costs
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — in sport
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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