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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
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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: rush · content · fine · wax · bear · mark · temple · hide

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fine — all right
  7. rush — hurry
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — the animal
  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