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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — a group
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lie — to recline
  22. club — for golf
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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