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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: leaves · temple · race · field · deal · net · wax · chip

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — after costs
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — a contest
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. deal — to handle
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. field — farmland
  11. race — humankind
  12. field — a subject
  13. wax — to grow
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — in sport
  19. race — the arms race
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. field — for sport
  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