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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — to breed
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — in cards
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wax — to grow
  14. toast — bread
  15. mate — a friend
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cabinet — ministers

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