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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 · cue · spell · saw · foot · craft · staff · date

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. staff — a stick
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. staff — employees
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — for pool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spell — magic
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cue — a signal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. craft — boats
  24. cue — a hint

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