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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · wax · toast · rash · coach · cap · cue · kid

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rash — a series
  5. kid — child
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — to grow
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. toast — bread
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cue — a hint

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