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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: rule · content · hand · cell · wax · temple · pit · shower

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — help
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. shower — rain
  11. rule — government
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. content — the amount
  16. pit — in a race
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — a law
  24. cell — a phone

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