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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wax — to grow
  6. can — to be able to
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chip — to eat
  24. can — a tin

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