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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mug — a cup
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — a container
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wax — to grow

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