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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.

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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: temple · bore · wax · chest · last · charge · wave · firm

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. charge — a price
  6. firm — a company
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — to tire
  13. firm — steady
  14. chest — a box
  15. firm — decided
  16. wax — to grow
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. last — to go on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — final
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. last — finally
  24. chest — of your body

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