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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: fork · hand · deal · bass · wax · temple · field · staff

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hand — help
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. field — farmland
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. field — a subject
  10. bass — low music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. field — for sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. deal — to handle
  18. staff — a stick
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — in cards
  24. deal — an agreement

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