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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · drill · branch · kid · arm · scale · mug · wax

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. drill — a practice
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mug — a cup
  8. foot — a measure
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. branch — a division
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kid — to tease
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — army training
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — to grow

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