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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: toast · wax · temple · tube · pop · calf · capital · bound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — a container
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wax — to grow
  14. capital — money
  15. bound — certain
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. pop — music

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