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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: wax · rule · cue · lash · suit · face · band · squash

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — to confront
  7. band — a music group
  8. squash — to crush
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rule — a law
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a ring
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cue — a hint
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. squash — the sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wax — to grow
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wax — in the ear

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