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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. last — final
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — to go on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — to grow
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. object — a thing
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. can — to be able to
  19. squash — the sport
  20. face — to point toward
  21. object — an aim
  22. last — finally
  23. can — a tin
  24. face — to confront

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