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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ground — a position
  4. board — to get on
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — a company
  8. rest — what's left
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. board — a committee
  12. rest — a break
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. firm — steady
  20. rest — what's left
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — the earth
  23. firm — decided
  24. leaves — of a tree

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