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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bank — of a river
  5. hand — help
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. present — a gift
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. present — the time now
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — there
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wax — in the ear

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