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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: fine · pit · tube · temple · shower · chair · mark · wax

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. tube — a container
  7. fine — high quality
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — a hole
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fine — all right
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mark — to pay attention

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