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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: kick · rock · net · hide · toast · rule · board · wax

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rock — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rule — government
  14. net — for catching
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. net — after costs
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. board — a committee
  23. net — in sport
  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