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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. scale — in music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. scale — size or range
  10. net — for catching
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. firm — decided
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — in sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. firm — a company
  21. fall — the season
  22. net — after costs
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — for a hammer

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