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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: game · hide · arm · pass · craft · racket · stick · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. game — a match
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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