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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 116 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: spring · bowl · game · wax · lean · mug · stand · cell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mug — a face
  4. spring — a coil
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spring — the season
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spring — of water
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. game — a match

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