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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.

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: rock · snap · row · game · ball · wax · temple · trunk

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ball — a great time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. row — to paddle
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wax — for sculpting

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