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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: bore · mate · club · wax · temple · pitcher · rock · lie

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. rock — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mate — a partner
  6. club — a group
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — to recline
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for golf
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bore — gave birth
  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