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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: pop · temple · bound · squash · wax · cap · lean · charge

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bound — certain
  14. cap — of ice
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — in control
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — to rest against

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