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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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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: wax · arm · pop · object · ground · roll · band · sharp

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. band — a music group
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. object — an aim
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. object — to protest
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. band — a ring
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ground — a position
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ground — crushed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wax — to grow
  24. roll — a list

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