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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: ball · wax · jam · arm · rock · mouse · bat · foot

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wax — to grow
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ball — a great time
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rock — music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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