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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 120 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
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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: craft · clip · pitch · foot · wax · cue · spell · wound

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — a hint
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — magic
  16. wound — an injury
  17. clip — a video
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spell — letters
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. foot — a measure

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