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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — to grow
  4. snap — to click
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. face — to confront
  24. rest — a break

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