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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wake — before a funeral

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