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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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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: bear · arm · spring · can · foot · rock · ball · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. can — to be able to
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. spring — the season
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rock — music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spring — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — a measure
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bear — to put up with

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