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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cue — for pool
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wax — to grow
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ground — a position
  12. band — a music group
  13. toast — bread
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. roll — a list
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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