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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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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 · row · wax · tear · pass · mug · jam · court

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. mug — to rob
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mug — a cup
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — to paddle
  17. tear — from crying
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mug — a face
  22. court — for sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. tear — from crying

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