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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 120 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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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: wax · fan · pass · mark · shower · racket · bay · bear

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — rain
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wax — to grow

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