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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: chest · cue · fall · wax · roll · branch · foot · ruler

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — the season
  7. roll — a list
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a cake
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fall — to drop
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. foot — a measure
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chest — a box
  22. wax — to grow
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chest — of your 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