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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: safe · land · tear · wax · stand · lean · fan · cue

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. land — a country
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — ground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. land — to come down
  24. lean — thin

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