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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · wax · object · squash · rule · temple · key · court

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. object — to protest
  4. court — of a king
  5. object — a thing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. squash — to crush
  8. key — for a lock
  9. court — of law
  10. key — in music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. court — for sport

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