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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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Word bank
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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: spring · kick · rule · rock · wax · snap · object · drill

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rule — government
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rule — a law
  6. kick — in football
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — a coil
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — to grow
  12. object — to protest
  13. drill — army training
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — a thing
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. drill — a practice

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