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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hand — in cards
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — help
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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