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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. current — electric
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — of water
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — a break
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bat — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rest — what's left

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