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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hand — help
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wax — to grow

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