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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: arm · bowl · present · firm · staff · ball · wax · wound

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — decided
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wax — to grow
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. staff — employees
  11. wound — an injury
  12. present — the time now
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. present — there
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. firm — a company
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. firm — steady
  24. present — a gift

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