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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: cue · wax · kick · toast · plane · fan · club · ground

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cue — a signal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — for dancing
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. club — for golf
  19. plane — a tool
  20. club — a group
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ground — a position
  24. kick — in football

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