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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — for money
  5. spell — letters
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bank — for money
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spell — magic
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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