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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tear — to rip
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pass — a permit
  24. content — the amount

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