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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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 — to grow
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — to be able to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. capital — money
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — of the year
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fine — all right
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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