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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — a match
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. season — in sport
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. march — music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. season — of the year
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a leader
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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