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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. firm — a company
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pop — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — soda
  9. firm — steady
  10. pop — to visit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. firm — decided
  13. file — a document
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. file — a line of people
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. file — a 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