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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — the month
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — to grow
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — the month

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