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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cue — a signal
  6. last — final
  7. lean — thin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. last — finally

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