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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. track — to keep track
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ball — a great time
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pass — a permit
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. club — for dancing
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. track — a path
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. club — for golf
  24. kid — child

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