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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. capital — money
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. present — there
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — a gift
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. present — the time now
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. row — a line
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wax — to grow
  23. capital — a city
  24. cabinet — ministers

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