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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: rush · wax · lie · rule · land · pit · bulb · rash

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. land — ground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — a hole
  13. land — to come down
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rule — a law
  22. land — a country
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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