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

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — a grade
  18. toast — the most admired

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