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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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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: cue · suit · scale · calf · straw · file · bound · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. file — a document
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cue — a hint
  16. file — a tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. bound — certain
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bound — tied together
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cue — a signal

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