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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: cabinet · mark · mine · bear · content · arm · lash · wax

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. content — the amount
  23. arm — part of the body
  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