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

Word bank: cabinet · march · wax · kick · rule · snap

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rule — a law
  4. snap — to click
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — in football
  9. rule — government
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear

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