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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — to grow
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. shower — rain
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bass — the fish

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