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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — a cup
  8. vault — a safe
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spring — the season
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — a face
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. perch — for a bird

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