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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · kick · cabinet · wax · date · saw · lash · perch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — the fruit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — in football
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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