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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kick — in football
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. season — of the year
  12. press — a publisher
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — to grow
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. press — to push
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. season — in sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. press — newspapers
  24. kid — child

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