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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: wax · ball · straw · lie · rock · pop · temple · ground

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rock — music
  5. pop — music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ground — a position
  9. pop — soda
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ball — a great time
  24. temple — side of the head

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