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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. swing — in golf
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. swing — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pass — to succeed

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