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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: band · leaves · rule · pit · wax · wind · cap · kick

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kick — in football
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — a hat
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. band — a ring
  12. rule — government
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rule — a law
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. band — a music group
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wax — to grow

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