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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stock — shares
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — the animal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. content — the amount
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. content — happy
  19. stock — goods
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — to grow

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