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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 · kid · content · roll · stick · nail · branch · wax

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. kid — child
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a hint
  9. roll — a cake
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. kid — to tease
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. roll — a list
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. content — happy

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