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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: racket · wax · cue · arm · rest · charge · pop · season

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pop — soda
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pop — to visit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — in control
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rest — a break
  15. cue — a hint
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. season — in sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. pop — music
  24. rest — what's left

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