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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. scale — in music
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — a thing
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to click
  11. field — a subject
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. field — for sport
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. field — farmland
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mate — a partner
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. roll — a list
  24. object — an aim

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