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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fall — the season
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. present — there
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wake — a trail
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. present — the time now
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a great time

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