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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: rash · trunk · drill · chair · wax · cue · march · saw

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wax — to grow
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. drill — a practice

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