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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bat — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. key — in music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. spell — magic
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. arm — a part of something

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