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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: cue · chair · snap · kick · wax · mouse · rock · drill

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cue — a signal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. snap — to click
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — in football
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. drill — army training
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chair — a professorship

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