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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · prune · key · wax · ground · mug · arm · mate

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — a position
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wax — to grow
  8. prune — to trim
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. key — in music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ground — the earth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — a cup

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