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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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468
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: wax · rash · pass · arm · spring · foot · chest · season

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — a series
  5. season — of the year
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rash — hasty
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spring — of water
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. season — in sport
  20. chest — of your body
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chest — a box
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

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