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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — to sink
  6. charge — electricity
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. charge — in control
  13. stem — to come from
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — a position
  22. wax — to grow
  23. charge — a price
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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