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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: fan · jam · chair · lie · spring · bank · wax · content

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bank — of a river
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. content — happy
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — for money
  19. content — the amount
  20. spring — of water
  21. chair — a leader
  22. spring — the season
  23. bank — for money
  24. jam — a tight spot

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