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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: object · cue · snap · hand · mark · wax · rock · kid

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. object — to protest
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hand — help
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rock — music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kid — child
  22. object — a thing
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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