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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: stick · ground · cue · rush · arm · face · wax · club

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — to grow
  13. club — a group
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. club — for golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — a part of something

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