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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · rush · kid · temple · wax · wave · object · bark

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kid — to tease
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. can — to be able to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kid — child
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. object — an aim

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