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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. roll — a cake
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. roll — a list
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — a gift
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — there
  17. cell — in biology
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cell — a phone
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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