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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — to grow
  6. scale — size or range
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — thin
  14. scale — in music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. present — a gift
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lean — to bend
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — for sculpting

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