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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · cabinet · hide · rule · pitch · charge · wax · date

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — a law
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitch — completely
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. date — the fruit
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rule — government
  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