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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. file — a tool
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. file — a document
  22. net — for catching
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — to put up with

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