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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: arm · wax · deal · present · track · ground · leaves · rock

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. deal — to handle
  10. track — a song
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — a gift
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ground — a position
  20. present — the time now
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wax — to grow
  23. present — there
  24. rock — to move gently

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