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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kid — child
  3. cue — a signal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. file — a document
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cell — a phone
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cell — in biology
  19. file — a tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — to recline
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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