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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
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: mug · temple · face · board · chest · fine · fork · wax

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fork — in a road
  12. face — to confront
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — to get on
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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