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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. toast — bread
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. roll — a list
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. foot — a measure
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. club — for golf
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — a cake
  14. club — a group
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wax — to grow
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — a division
  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