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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mate — to breed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ground — a position
  24. cue — a hint

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