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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: temple · hand · bass · mouse · rest · pop · wax · deal

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hand — help
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pop — music
  7. bass — low music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pop — soda
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — what's left
  23. deal — to handle
  24. temple — a place of worship

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