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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: saw · mine · pit · wax · temple · season · cabinet · tear

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. season — in sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — of the year
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — to grow
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pit — a hole

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