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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rock — music
  14. chest — a box
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. firm — decided
  17. game — a match
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. firm — a company
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wax — to grow

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