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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: field · rock · fork · wound · prune · dip · wax · temple

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. field — farmland
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wax — to grow
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — a subject
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. field — for sport
  24. dip — to dunk

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