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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — boats
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cell — in biology
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cell — a phone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. arm — part of the body

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