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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: lean · bound · pop · arm · wax · temple · plane · kid

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pop — soda
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — certain
  8. lean — thin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kid — to tease
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — obliged
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. kid — child
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bound — tied together

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