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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rule · wax · branch · ruler · land · content · mug

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. land — ground
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — to grow
  11. land — a country
  12. rule — government
  13. content — the amount
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — to come down

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