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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: snap · board · kid · object · fall · wax · mouse · rule

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rule — government
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — a committee
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. snap — to click
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. fall — the season
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — child
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. object — to protest
  24. board — to get on

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