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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 120 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: pitcher · firm · mark · last · wax · temple · patient · bay

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. firm — decided
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — to grow
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — a company
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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