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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
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: trunk · wax · march · bulb · lie · bore · temple · pass

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. march — the month
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bore — to drill
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  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