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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
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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: wax · shower · drill · cabinet · club · field · bark · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. club — for golf
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. shower — rain
  8. drill — army training
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. field — a subject
  23. drill — the tool
  24. shower — to wash

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