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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — to go on
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. object — to protest
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. present — the time now
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. last — finally
  18. wax — to grow
  19. object — a thing
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. last — final
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — an aim

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