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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wax — to grow
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. court — of law
  10. mate — a partner
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. court — of a king
  15. content — happy
  16. firm — steady
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. firm — decided
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — for sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mate — to breed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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