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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. tube — a container
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. squash — the sport
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wax — to grow
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tube — in a tire

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