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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: cue · pitch · temple · tear · fan · bulb · wax · straw

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wax — to grow
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — a signal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — completely

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