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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: lean · wax · mate · pitcher · bulb · temple · court · leaves

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. court — of a king
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wax — to grow
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — for sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. court — of law
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — to go away

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