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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — to grow
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. season — in sport
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. season — of the year
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. present — a gift

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