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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.

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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: land · key · wax · lean · wake · cue · pass · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cue — a signal
  8. key — in music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. land — a country
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. land — to come down
  23. lean — thin
  24. wax — for sculpting

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