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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. race — humankind
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cap — a lid
  11. race — the arms race
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — a price
  19. bat — the animal
  20. race — a contest
  21. cap — of ice
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — in control
  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