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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 120 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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — to point toward
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — to grow
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. face — to confront
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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