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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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. root — of a plant
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — a stick
  6. root — the cause
  7. wax — to grow
  8. craft — boats
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. staff — employees
  11. wound — an injury
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a skill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. root — of a word
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — a sick person

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