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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. kick — in football
  4. content — happy
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rest — a break
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. content — the amount
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. saw — the tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pop — music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pop — soda
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pop — to visit
  24. dip — to dunk

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