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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — army training
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ground — a position
  22. drill — the tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. kick — with a leg

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