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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
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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: bat · wound · rock · squash · chair · toast · temple · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chair — a leader
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rock — music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. toast — bread
  19. wound — an injury
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bat — the animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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