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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. season — of the year
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. club — for dancing
  6. firm — steady
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. club — a group
  9. firm — decided
  10. club — for golf
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. net — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. season — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wax — to grow
  22. net — for catching
  23. firm — a company
  24. lash — to lash out

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