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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 · row · lash · cue · court · cold · charge · nail

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. charge — in control
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. court — for sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cue — for pool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — a price
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. court — of a king
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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