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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.

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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: wind · pitch · leaves · temple · squash · wax · stick · fine

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — all right
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — completely
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wind — to turn a key

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