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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — for money
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — to get on
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wax — in the ear

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