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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. object — a thing
  3. last — finally
  4. wax — to grow
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fork — in a road
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. last — final
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. object — an aim
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rash — a series
  19. object — to protest
  20. rash — hasty
  21. last — to go on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fork — a garden tool

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