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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. tear — to rip
  11. suit — to fit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hand — in cards

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