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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: fork · temple · pop · can · staff · fan · chest · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pop — soda
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wax — to grow
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pop — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — a box
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. chest — of your body
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. can — to be able to
  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