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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: cue · wax · spell · wound · coach · rule · shower · bark

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spell — letters
  5. rule — government
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. shower — rain
  9. cue — for pool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wax — to grow
  12. spell — a short time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. spell — magic
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rule — a law
  24. wax — in the ear

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