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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: lean · fan · coach · foot · wake · perch · suit · wax

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lean — thin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wax — to grow
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. suit — in cards

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