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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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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: cabinet · tear · board · row · rule · wax · cap · pit

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. row — a line
  7. pit — in a race
  8. board — to get on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — government
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a quarrel

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