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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — the season
  5. ground — crushed
  6. spring — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. spring — a coil
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. press — newspapers
  16. firm — steady
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. firm — decided
  19. ground — a position
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ground — the earth
  23. press — to push
  24. bulb — for light

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