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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 120 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: temple · fall · drill · patient · rush · wake · wax · leaves

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fall — the season
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. drill — army training
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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