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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rest — a break
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — help
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. season — of the year
  23. face — to confront
  24. temple — a place of worship

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