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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. track — a path
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ground — the earth
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. charge — a price
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ground — crushed
  15. track — to keep track
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. spring — of water
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — a song
  24. wax — for sculpting

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