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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. snap — to click
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. nail — for a hammer

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