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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. game — a match
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. net — for catching
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — clothes
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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