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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. squash — to crush
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — a lid
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chest — a box
  13. rash — a series
  14. wax — to grow
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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