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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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chest — of your body
  3. craft — a skill
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rule — a law
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — a box
  10. bound — certain
  11. kick — in football
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bound — obliged
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wax — for sculpting

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