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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
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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: date · temple · cold · roll · wax · scale · rest · hide

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. roll — a cake
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. roll — a list
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rest — a break
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. date — the fruit

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