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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: firm · lie · chair · wax · ground · sharp · arm · mug

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ground — a position
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wax — to grow
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. firm — steady
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. firm — decided
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — in the ear

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