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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wax — to grow
  6. board — a committee
  7. season — of the year
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. pit — a hole
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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