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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. game — wild animals
  9. roll — a cake
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cue — a hint
  13. roll — a list
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rest — a break
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rest — what's left

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