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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — there
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. present — a gift
  16. charge — in control
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — the animal
  22. present — the time now
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — a stone

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