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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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 — crushed
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hand — help
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ground — a position
  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