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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · temple · mug · squash · game · wax · mate · firm

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. firm — a company
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — decided
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — a face
  12. fall — the season
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. game — a match
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mate — a friend
  18. squash — to crush
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. firm — steady
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — to breed
  24. squash — the vegetable

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