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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stock — goods
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — to handle

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