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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 · clip · fan · mouse · track · wax · fall · bark

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bark — to shout
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. track — a song
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — to drop
  12. track — a path
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. clip — a video
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mouse — for a computer

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