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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cell · wax · ground · cue · rush · staff · bulb · fan

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. staff — employees
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cell — in biology
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — a position
  24. wax — in the ear

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