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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.

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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: bay · date · wax · pass · spell · fan · cue · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cue — for pool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pass — a permit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. spell — letters
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cue — a signal
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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