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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: squash · pound · jam · temple · lean · fall · wax · fine

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lean — to bend
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — thin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fall — to drop
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fall — the season
  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