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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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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: cap · rash · wax · fine · pound · bore · snap · temple

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fine — all right
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rash — a series
  15. bore — to tire
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cap — a lid
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — hasty
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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