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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 120 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: leaves · cue · wax · arm · rash · mark · rule · perch

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — a signal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. perch — the fish
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rule — a law
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cue — a hint
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wax — to grow
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — a grade

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