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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ground — crushed
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spring — of water
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rule — government
  19. wax — to grow
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. snap — to click
  24. wind — moving air

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