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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
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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: stem · file · squash · object · wax · hand · cue · rest

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. object — to protest
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. object — a thing
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a document
  19. cue — a hint
  20. file — a tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. file — a line of people

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