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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — a hint
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. firm — a company
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mate — to breed
  18. firm — decided
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chest — a box
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cue — for pool

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