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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lean — thin
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cue — a hint
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — a hat
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cue — a signal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. shower — to wash

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