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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: wax · leaves · last · mouse · toast · jam · temple · pitch

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. last — finally
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. last — final
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. last — to go on
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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