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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: rule · court · prune · spell · wax · mouse · last · bulb

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — to grow
  9. court — of a king
  10. last — final
  11. court — for sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rule — government
  22. spell — letters
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — of law

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