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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kid — child
  3. charge — a price
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mine — for digging
  8. charge — in control
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. kid — to tease
  11. charge — electricity
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wax — to grow
  14. board — to get on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. foot — a measure

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