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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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 — to grow
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fine — high quality
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. shower — rain
  20. cue — a signal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mouse — the animal

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