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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cue — a signal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. root — of a plant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cue — for pool
  20. root — the cause
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — to grow
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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