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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rule — government
  5. pound — a weight
  6. can — to be able to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pop — soda
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — a law
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pop — music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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