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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — boats
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — low music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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