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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — in sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wax — to grow
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ball — a great time
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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