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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ground — the earth
  10. race — humankind
  11. board — a committee
  12. firm — a company
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. firm — decided
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. race — a contest
  18. board — to get on
  19. firm — steady
  20. face — to point toward
  21. squash — the sport
  22. race — the arms race
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — to crush

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