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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. can — to be able to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — a measure
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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