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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kid — child
  8. cue — a hint
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kick — in football
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cue — for pool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wax — to grow
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — a tin
  23. cue — a signal
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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