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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. charge — in control
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — in football
  15. charge — a price
  16. cell — a phone
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cell — in biology
  21. snap — to click
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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