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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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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: object · sharp · rest · cue · court · fork · wave · wax

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. rest — a break
  5. cue — a hint
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — clever
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wax — to grow
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — a thing
  24. wax — in the ear

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