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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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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: rash · wax · lie · ground · club · rule · mouse · branch

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — a series
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rule — government
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ground — a position
  22. rule — a law
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wax — for sculpting

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