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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — soda
  7. bound — certain
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rock — a stone
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pitcher — a jug

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