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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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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. club — for dancing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pop — soda
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. club — for golf
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pop — music
  22. bound — certain
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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