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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: kid · temple · trunk · dip · wax · bass · row · plane

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wax — to grow
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bass — low music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — to tease
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. row — a line
  24. bass — the fish

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