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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. present — a gift
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. present — the time now
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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