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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.

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: temple · wave · ball · chest · tube · bass · wax · nail

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chest — of your body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wax — to grow
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chest — a box
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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