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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
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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: stand · saw · mine · temple · net · ball · wax · bear

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. net — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mine — for digging
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ball — a great time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bear — the animal

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