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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: race · deal · rule · object · mouse · lean · wax · can

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lean — thin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — a thing
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. object — an aim
  14. race — a contest
  15. object — to protest
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. race — the arms race
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rule — a law
  23. deal — to handle
  24. race — humankind

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