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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: ball · pop · current · cabinet · hide · wax · suit · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pop — to visit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pop — music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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