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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: mouse · land · wax · rest · bank · swing · dip · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — to grow
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. land — a country
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — ground
  14. rule — a law
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. land — to come down

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