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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — size or range
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. scale — in music
  24. ground — a position

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