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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — help
  6. board — to get on
  7. lean — to bend
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wax — to grow
  20. board — a committee
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. patient — a sick person

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