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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 120 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: wax · stick · row · chair · rule · cue · kick · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cue — for pool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — in football
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. row — a line
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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