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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
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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: cue · clip · game · present · safe · wax · foot · date

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. foot — a measure
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. present — there
  5. clip — a video
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. game — a match
  10. present — the time now
  11. game — wild animals
  12. present — a gift
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cue — a hint
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cue — for pool
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wax — to grow
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. foot — part of the body
  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