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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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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. game — a match
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. roll — a list
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wax — to grow
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fine — a penalty

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