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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. band — a music group
  4. court — for sport
  5. snap — to click
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. band — a ring
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. root — of a word
  11. court — of law
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. root — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. court — of a king
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. root — the cause
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wax — for sculpting

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