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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: hand · safe · racket · march · wax · stick · arm · clip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hand — help
  4. march — the month
  5. hand — in cards
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. clip — a video
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. march — the month

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