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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. swing — in golf
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rush — hurry
  12. row — to paddle
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — music
  24. staff — employees

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