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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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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: fan · kid · tear · stand · cue · wax · suit · deal

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. kid — child
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — a signal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stand — to bear
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cue — for pool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — a supporter

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