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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · cue · wax · cell · temple · pass

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pass — a permit
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cue — a hint
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cue — for pool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cell — in biology

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