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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
468
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: bear · fan · mouse · dip · net · cue · wax · deal

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. net — after costs
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cue — for pool
  22. net — in sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. dip — to dunk

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