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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: wax · game · can · temple · saw · hand · row · current

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hand — in cards
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — help
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. game — a match
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — a line
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. current — happening now
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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