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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: club · arm · jam · cue · wax · rock · sharp · rush

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rock — a stone
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — hurry
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cue — for pool
  14. club — for golf
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rock — music
  18. club — a group
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. club — for dancing
  23. sharp — clever
  24. jam — a tight spot

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