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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ground — a position
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spring — the season

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