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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chest — a box
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hand — help
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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