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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: deal · wax · temple · bulb · rest · race · bank · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. race — the arms race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rest — a break
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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