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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.

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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: field · suit · can · temple · rash · pass · clip · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — clothes
  5. can — a tin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. clip — a video
  10. pass — a permit
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rash — a series
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. field — farmland
  21. rash — hasty
  22. can — to be able to
  23. field — for sport
  24. clip — for paper

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