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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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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: lean · rock · fan · bank · spell · wax · land · squash

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spell — magic
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. spell — a short time
  14. land — ground
  15. spell — letters
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — for money
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — a country
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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