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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. swing — to play on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fall — to drop
  12. swing — in golf
  13. craft — boats
  14. fall — the season
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. craft — a skill
  21. swing — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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