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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
468
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: wind · chip · cue · spell · sharp · squash · wax · arm

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chip — for betting
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a signal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cue — a hint
  24. arm — part of the body

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