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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
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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: temple · content · fan · wax · fall · cap · spell · fork

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — the season
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cap — a lid
  18. content — happy
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — the amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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