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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · stand · temple · board · wax · clip · mine · lie

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — for digging
  16. clip — for paper
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wax — in the ear

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