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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tube — a container
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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