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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 · mug · nail · perch · plane · wax · dip · sharp

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — a hint
  5. sharp — clever
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — to grow
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mug — a face

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