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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. last — finally
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. last — final
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — a position
  10. club — a group
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bank — for money
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wax — to grow
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bank — of a river
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — part of the body

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