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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 120 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: kid · wax · temple · mouse · saw · bowl · board · rock

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. board — a committee
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — music
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — child
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. wax — to grow
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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