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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fine — all right
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fine — high quality
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wax — to grow
  22. game — a match
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fork — in a road

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