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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 · present · trunk · shower · rule · lean · ruler · temple

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — a gift
  9. wax — to grow
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lean — thin
  12. present — the time now
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. shower — to wash
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. present — there
  22. rule — government
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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