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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. current — of water
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — decided
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — the season
  13. key — for a lock
  14. club — a group
  15. rest — a break
  16. club — for golf
  17. firm — a company
  18. key — in music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — electric
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. current — happening now

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