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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — happening now
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — of water
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — a hint
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. current — electric
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — the season
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — of water
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — to grow

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