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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: firm · cue · sharp · saw · wax · arm · hide · prune

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — for pool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wax — to grow
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — clever
  11. firm — steady
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. saw — the tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. firm — a company
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. prune — to trim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. sharp — exactly

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