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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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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: fine · cell · deal · suit · temple · rule · wax · wake

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fine — all right
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rule — government
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wake — a trail
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wax — to grow
  23. suit — in cards
  24. deal — to handle

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