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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. charge — a price
  3. cue — a hint
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. charge — electricity
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cue — a signal
  14. charge — in control
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — all right
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — high quality
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — part of the body

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