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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: rush · deal · sharp · wax · shower · rule · swing · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rule — a law
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. shower — rain
  13. swing — music
  14. rule — government
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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