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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: nail · suit · band · face · kid · cue · bear · wax

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. face — to confront
  3. wax — to grow
  4. band — a ring
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. kid — child
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a music group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. face — to point toward
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cue — a signal

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