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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spell — letters
  4. wax — to grow
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — magic
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spell — a short time
  15. date — the fruit
  16. lean — thin
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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