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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: fan · wax · arm · lie · game · hide · pound · spell

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spell — a short time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spell — magic
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pound — to hit hard

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