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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. charge — a price
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. spell — letters
  16. wax — to grow
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to click
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. charge — in control
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bear — the animal

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