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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: file · bear · bay · press · shower · temple · wax · ball

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. file — a document
  14. press — to push
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. shower — rain
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. file — a line of people

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