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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. track — to keep track
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bank — of a river
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fine — all right
  22. track — a path
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wax — in the ear

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