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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wax — to grow
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fine — all right
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fine — high quality
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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