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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bass — the fish
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. chair — a leader
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — low music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — in cards

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