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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: land · mate · firm · fine · calf · wax · temple · chest

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chest — a box
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. firm — steady
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. land — to come down
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. firm — decided
  18. fine — high quality
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fine — all right
  24. firm — a company

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