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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — magic
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. staff — employees
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — for betting
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — an explosive

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