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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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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ball — a great time
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. swing — in golf
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — a position
  15. season — of the year
  16. swing — music
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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