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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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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: kick · straw · file · date · deal · wax · pass · cue

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. kick — in football
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cue — for pool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — to grow
  12. file — a tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cue — a signal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. file — a document
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cue — a hint
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. deal — an agreement

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