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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: cue · lie · wax · race · temple · rule · pitcher · calf

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rule — government
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. race — a contest
  10. cue — a hint
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. race — humankind
  16. rule — a law
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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