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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. lean — to bend
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ground — crushed
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. spring — the season

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