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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. roll — a list
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — to hit hard

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