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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — to grow
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — humankind
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. object — to protest
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ground — the earth
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — the arms race
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. race — a contest

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