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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. mate — a friend
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pop — soda
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. object — a thing
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mate — a partner
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pop — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  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