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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wax · rush · cell · trunk · temple · hide · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rule — a law
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cell — a phone
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rule — government
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wax — to grow

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