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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: craft · suit · wax · trunk · spell · tear · march · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spell — magic
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spell — letters
  6. march — music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spell — a short time
  10. tear — from crying
  11. suit — in cards
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — boats
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — a hint
  17. march — the month
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — the month
  20. tear — to rip
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cue — for pool

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