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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.

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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: charge · wax · craft · cue · rock · bat · foot · rest

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — boats
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. craft — a skill
  17. charge — in control
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bat — in an idiom

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