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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tube — a container
  6. present — the time now
  7. track — to keep track
  8. key — for a lock
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. prune — to trim
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — a gift
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tube — the underground
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — there
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wax — to grow
  24. track — a path

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