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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: rock · wax · prune · drill · present · bowl · club · temple

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. drill — army training
  4. rock — music
  5. club — a group
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. present — a gift
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. drill — a practice
  16. club — for golf
  17. wax — to grow
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — the time now
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. temple — side of the head

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