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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — a position
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tear — to rip
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — a container
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitch — completely

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