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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: perch · cue · net · wax · band · mark · rest · chip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rest — a break
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. net — for catching
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mark — a trace
  24. net — after costs

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