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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 120 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: hide · wax · bore · mark · temple · wind · calf · suit

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — to tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — in cards
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hide — to keep secret

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