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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
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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: ball · fan · mug · bear · bulb · bore · wax · date

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ball — a great time
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mug — a face
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — to cool the air

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