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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cap — a hat
  6. court — for sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. court — of a king
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — of ice
  15. current — happening now
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. object — a thing
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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