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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: bulb · wax · mouse · rule · race · stand · lie · squash

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rule — government
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rule — a law
  17. squash — the sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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