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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 116 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: rush · wax · chip · stick · track · can · wake · cue

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rush — hurry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — a thrill

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