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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — an agreement

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