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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 120 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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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 · wax · swing · mark · cell · fork · leaves · craft

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. swing — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fork — in a road

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