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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. current — electric
  20. bound — obliged
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. current — happening now
  23. bound — tied together
  24. arm — part of the body

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