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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: kick · temple · bass · content · cap · march · stand · wax

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kick — in football
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. content — happy
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. march — music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cap — a lid
  12. content — the amount
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stand — to bear
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — low music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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