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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. dip — to sink
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ball — a dance
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ball — a great time
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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