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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: rule · bowl · hide · patient · pound · cabinet · wax · kick

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pound — a weight
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. kick — in football
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hide — animal skin

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