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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 120 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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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: hide · chest · lie · wax · temple · calf · fork · bat

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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