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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chip — to eat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. club — for golf
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rest — a break

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