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

Word bank: club · bore · wax · kick · staff · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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 — government
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. staff — employees
  5. club — a group
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rule — a law
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. club — for golf
  17. bore — to tire
  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