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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.

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: temple · deal · bowl · fine · bound · file · mouse · wax

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. file — a document
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. deal — to handle
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fine — all right
  22. bound — certain
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bound — tied together

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