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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: ruler · temple · bay · wax · roll · tube · mine · nail

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. roll — a cake
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. roll — a list

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