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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — part of the body
  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