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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tube — a container
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fan — a supporter

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