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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
468
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: kick · game · temple · prune · toast · row · season · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. row — to paddle
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. row — a line
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — in sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. toast — bread
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. wax — to grow
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. game — a match
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. game — wild animals
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. temple — side of the head

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