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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: cell · mouse · rule · staff · kick · wax

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rule — a law
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. kick — in football
  13. cell — in biology
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rule — government
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. 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