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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ground — the earth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mug — a face
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — a position
  21. mate — a partner
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ground — crushed
  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