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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — a contest
  4. court — of law
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. court — for sport
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ground — a position
  11. wax — to grow
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — a grade
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. race — humankind
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kick — in football
  21. court — of a king
  22. ground — the earth
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wax — for sculpting

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