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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
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: arm · mouse · stand · face · tube · wax · file · ground

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. file — a document
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ground — the earth
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — to bear
  20. face — to confront
  21. file — a tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wax — in the ear

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