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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chest — a box
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — a series
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chip — for betting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chest — of your body
  23. craft — boats
  24. rash — on the skin

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