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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.

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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 · fan · firm · game · face · stand · deal

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — a company
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wax — to grow
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stand — to bear
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to confront

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