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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
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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: wax · pitch · mug · cap · cell · temple · rush · arm

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cell — a phone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mug — a face
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. temple — a place of worship

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