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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitch — completely
  4. firm — a company
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ground — crushed
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ground — a position
  14. face — to confront
  15. field — farmland
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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