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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pound — a weight
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wax — to grow
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. season — in sport
  17. toast — bread
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — a position
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. toast — the most admired

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