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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: cue · wax · deal · wound · foot · wake · staff · nail

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. foot — a measure
  3. staff — employees
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cue — for pool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. staff — employees
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — to grow

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