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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 120 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 · wax · temple · bay · arm · spring · bound · mug

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bound — certain
  4. mug — to rob
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mug — a face
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — a coil
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. spring — the season

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