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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rush — hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. track — a path
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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