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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 · bear · dip · fan · temple · wax · pop · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. game — a match
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pop — music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lean — to bend
  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