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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · club · hide · lie · mouse · rash · ruler · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rash — a series

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