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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cap — a hat
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cap — of ice
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. band — a music group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — a lid
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spell — letters
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. band — a ring

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