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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. land — ground
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. land — a country
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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