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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. current — happening now
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. wax — to grow
  8. key — in music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stand — to bear
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — of water
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rush — hurry
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — to hurry

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