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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wax — to grow
  6. drill — the tool
  7. last — final
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — army training
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. drill — a practice

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