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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — a tin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chest — of your body
  9. game — a match
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chest — a box
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pit — a hole
  24. can — a tin

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