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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ground — a position
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — the earth
  9. last — finally
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. can — to be able to
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. last — final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ground — crushed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — to go on
  24. arm — a part of something

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