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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.

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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — a law
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. march — the month
  6. wax — to grow
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — government
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. track — a path
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kick — a thrill

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