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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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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: spring · ball · rule · lie · wax · mouse · game · cabinet

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — of water
  7. rule — government
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lie — to recline
  13. spring — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — a match
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ball — a great time

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