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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. land — to come down
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wax — to grow
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fine — high quality
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. row — a line
  17. land — ground
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. land — a country
  22. fine — all right
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. safe — out of danger

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