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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chest — of your body
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chest — a box
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. root — of a word
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — the cause
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bound — certain
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. root — of a plant
  19. row — a line
  20. bound — tied together
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — obliged

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