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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 120 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: temple · net · hand · squash · lie · scale · board · wax

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. net — in sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. net — after costs
  5. hand — help
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. scale — in music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. scale — size or range
  22. board — a committee
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — for catching

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