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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — decided
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wax — to grow
  11. firm — steady
  12. mine — for digging
  13. firm — a company
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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