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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: wax · court · cell · bulb · hide · rule · mate · lash

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — for sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — of law
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rule — a law
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. court — of a king
  24. hide — to keep secret

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