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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mug — to rob
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — to come down
  17. wax — to grow
  18. land — ground
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mark — a grade
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — a country
  24. perch — for a bird

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