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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. snap — to click
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wax — to grow
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chair — a leader
  16. board — to get on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lean — thin
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. jam — in traffic

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