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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
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: bat · leaves · fan · chair · craft · roll · wax · temple

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. roll — a list
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. craft — boats
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wax — to grow
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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