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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wax — to grow
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rest — a break
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — for sport
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. field — a subject

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