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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: kid · cue · wax · row · craft · spring · coach · mug

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — of water
  5. cue — for pool
  6. spring — the season
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mug — a face
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cue — a signal

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