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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: temple · bay · march · pitch · wax · fan · object · wound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. object — an aim
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bay — a horse colour

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