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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fall — the season
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. court — of law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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