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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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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: hide · wax · kick · pound · object · pit · bore · temple

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wax — to grow
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kick — in football
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. object — a thing
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — to tire
  24. object — an aim

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