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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — all right
  6. cue — a hint
  7. court — of law
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cue — for pool
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wax — to grow
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cell — in biology
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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