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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: shower · rule · coach · temple · wax · deal · rush · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — rain
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. shower — to wash
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rule — a law
  22. deal — to handle
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — government

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