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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wax — to grow
  5. squash — to crush
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. present — there
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. present — a gift
  16. kick — in football
  17. shower — rain
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — to bear
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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