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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
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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: temple · saw · ground · wax · tear · bowl · bulb · squash

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. squash — the sport
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — a position
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ground — the earth

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