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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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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: cabinet · wake · wax · swing · kick · rest · bore · temple

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — to grow
  16. kick — in football
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wax — in the ear

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