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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: wake · wax · temple · pop · last · kick · object · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. last — to go on
  4. object — a thing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. object — to protest
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. kick — in football
  10. last — final
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pit — a hole
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pop — soda
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. last — finally
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. kick — with a leg

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