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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: straw · ball · cue · wax · coach · charge · wind · prune

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wax — to grow
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. charge — in control
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cue — a hint
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cue — for pool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a dance

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