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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — a signal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. last — to go on
  11. swing — music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. press — to push
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — finally
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. last — final
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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