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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. present — the time now
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wax — to grow
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a face
  23. degree — from a university
  24. present — there

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