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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cue — a signal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — a thing
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cue — a hint
  20. object — to protest
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. object — an aim
  24. cell — a phone

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