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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: fine · rule · kick · wax · staff · snap · saw · lash

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. snap — to click
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — in football
  19. rule — government
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — to grow
  24. staff — a stick

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