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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rest · rock · can · drill · net · kid · cue

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rock — a stone
  5. can — to be able to
  6. drill — army training
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cue — for pool
  9. net — in sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rock — music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rest — what's left
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — for catching
  20. drill — the tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. rest — a break
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wax — for sculpting

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