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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: tear · foot · kick · toast · cue · wax · jam · rash

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — bread
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cue — a signal
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kick — in football
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tear — to rip
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rash — a series
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rash — hasty
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cue — a hint

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