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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. net — after costs
  9. sharp — clever
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — in sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wax — to grow
  15. suit — to fit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bound — obliged
  18. suit — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — for catching
  24. suit — clothes

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