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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 120 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: arm · mark · wax · ground · chip · bound · lean · club

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. club — for golf
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ground — a position
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bound — certain
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — a trace
  14. club — a group
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — the earth
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — for dancing

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