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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — all right
  6. wax — to grow
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. foot — a measure
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fine — high quality

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