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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: wax · arm · toast · scale · cabinet · game · pit · squash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. game — a match
  10. toast — bread
  11. pit — in a race
  12. squash — to crush
  13. scale — in music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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