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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pop — to visit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. clip — a video
  7. rush — hurry
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. season — of the year
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ground — a position
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pop — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wax — for sculpting

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