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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: stick · last · wax · net · court · bound · temple · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — final
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. last — finally
  8. net — in sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. court — of law
  18. last — to go on
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bound — tied together
  22. court — for sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. court — of a king

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