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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 · temple · net · mine · mug · pop · lash · wax

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mug — a cup
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. net — in sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. pop — soda
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rule — government
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. net — for catching
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — after costs
  23. pop — music
  24. mine — for digging

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