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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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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: bay · lean · pitch · temple · mouse · wax · fork · stem

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lean — thin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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