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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: ruler · mate · board · content · kick · drill · temple · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kick — in football
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. board — a committee
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — army training
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. content — happy

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