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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mine · band · last · mouse · chip · rule · jam

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chip — for betting
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. band — a music group
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. band — a ring
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. last — to go on
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. last — finally
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. chip — to eat

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