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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ground — crushed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — clever
  14. tube — a container
  15. rash — hasty
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wax — to grow
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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