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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: last · wave · squash · can · plane · temple · wax · tear

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — a tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. last — final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. last — finally
  13. tear — to rip
  14. can — to be able to
  15. last — to go on
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — to grow
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tear — from crying

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