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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: wax · bay · spring · object · mine · date · trunk · temple

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. date — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. object — a thing
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. mine — for digging
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wax — to grow
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. spring — the season

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