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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cap — of ice
  7. present — the time now
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wax — to grow
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. shower — rain
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. wax — in the ear

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