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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mug — a face
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wax — to grow
  10. row — a line
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chair — a leader
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — a cup

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