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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. firm — a company
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wax — to grow
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. firm — steady
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — a position
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. firm — decided

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