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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: cell · rock · bark · spell · lie · rule · snap · wax

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cell — in biology
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rule — a law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rule — government
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rock — music
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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