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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: mug · bass · cue · wax · hide · race · kick · last

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mug — a face
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mug — to rob
  7. last — to go on
  8. race — humankind
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — in football
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — low music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. last — finally
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bass — the fish
  20. race — a contest
  21. last — final
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cue — a signal
  24. kick — 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