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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 116 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: mouse · prune · wax · mate · rash · shower · fork · rule

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rule — a law
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rule — government
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. mate — to breed
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — in a road
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. shower — rain

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