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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chest — of your body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — to grow
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chest — a box
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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