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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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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: date · wax · mug · temple · drill · field

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mug — a face
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. field — for sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. drill — the tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wax — to grow

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