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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · pass · pit · kid · wave · fork · fine · wax

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pit — in a race
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. kid — child
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fine — all right

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