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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wax — to grow
  6. swing — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. march — music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — a position
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mine — for digging
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tube — a container
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pit — a hole
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pit — in a race

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