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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 · temple · mate · dip · deal · chair · firm · racket

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. firm — decided
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — a partner
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. firm — a company
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. firm — steady

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