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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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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: rest · cue · hand · bay · racket · land · wax · deal

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. deal — to handle
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — for pool
  7. land — to come down
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hand — help
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — a country
  23. racket — for tennis
  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