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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — a short time
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rest — a break
  8. present — there
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spell — letters
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. present — a gift
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — a box
  24. wax — for sculpting

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