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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: content · lie · temple · drill · field · rule · jam · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — the amount
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — happy
  7. field — a subject
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — to grow
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rule — a law
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — the tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rule — government
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. drill — army training
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. field — for sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. temple — a place of worship

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