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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pass — a permit
  16. clip — a video
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — clothes

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