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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: wax · fall · ball · cabinet · temple · rest · cue · lie

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rest — a break
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fall — the season
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cue — a signal

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