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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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 — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chair — a leader
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spell — letters
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. capital — money
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. face — part of the head
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cue — a signal
  23. capital — a city
  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