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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tube — a container
  15. rock — music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. face — to point toward

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