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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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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 · wax · rule · bowl · temple · jam · cap · toast

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wax — to grow
  22. toast — bread
  23. cap — a hat
  24. temple — a place of worship

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