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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mark — a grade
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cold — not warm
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wind — moving air

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