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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: wax · fan · lean · rash · ground · craft · temple · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — boats
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. lean — thin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ground — a position
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wax — for sculpting

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