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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.

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: march · arm · temple · pop · vault · stem · fan · wax

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wax — to grow
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. march — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. march — the month
  24. vault — a safe

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