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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: wave · wax · craft · firm · straw · temple · tear · tube

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tear — from crying
  6. firm — decided
  7. tube — a container
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. craft — boats
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tube — the underground

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