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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — a gift
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. snap — to click

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