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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. snap — to click
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lean — thin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. arm — part of the body

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