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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: wax · chest · temple · wave · leaves · jam · rule · fine

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — all right
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fine — high quality
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chest — a box
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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