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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: jam · chest · stick · wax · rash · toast · cue · rest

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wax — to grow
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chest — a box
  7. toast — bread
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rash — a series
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rest — a break
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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