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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ground — a position
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — the season
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cue — a hint

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