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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: temple · bear · mouse · perch · club · plane · rule · wax

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rule — government
  4. wax — to grow
  5. club — a group
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. club — for golf
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rule — a law
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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