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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ball — a dance
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ball — a great time
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. charge — in control
  18. ball — a round shape

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