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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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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: bowl · wax · wound · temple · rock · mate · object · kick

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — a stone
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — in football
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. object — a thing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mate — a partner
  21. object — to protest
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kick — with a leg

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