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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: patient · craft · rock · mine · temple · bank · wax · toast

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. toast — bread
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — for digging
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bank — of a river
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. toast — the most admired

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