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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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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: wax · chest · squash · sharp · arm · patient · temple · cue

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — to grow
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chest — a box
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cue — a hint
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — with an edge

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