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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: wax · pitcher · bulb · field · leaves · key · temple · cap

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. key — the most important part
  3. field — for sport
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. field — farmland
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — a hat
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — a lid
  21. field — a subject
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — of a tree

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