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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rule — government
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — for golf
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — a group
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. kick — in football
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — a law
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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