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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bore — to tire
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cap — a lid
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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