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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. key — in music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cue — a hint
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spell — magic
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spell — letters
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spell — a short time
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — to grow
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. snap — to click

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