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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
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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 · wax · fan · plane · mine · bank · file · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. file — a document
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. court — of law
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bank — of a river
  12. plane — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wax — to grow
  16. file — a tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — for sculpting

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