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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
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: track · wax · ruler · lean · pop · tear · temple · spell

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. pop — soda
  2. spell — a short time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spell — letters
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. track — a song
  11. lean — to bend
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. spell — magic
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pop — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. track — a path
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lean — thin
  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