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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — humankind
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. season — of the year
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cue — for pool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. cue — a hint
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. race — a contest
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lean — thin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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