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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: wax · date · fan · bat · cue · staff · can · lie

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — the animal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cue — a signal
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — a hint
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cue — for pool
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. can — to be able to

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