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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. field — farmland
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — for sport
  12. hand — help
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — to grow
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. field — a subject
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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