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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
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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 · lie · fan · leaves · saw · wax · hand · spell

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lean — thin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hand — help
  24. wax — in the ear

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