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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: wax · bay · fan · track · staff · rule · pitch · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a path
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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