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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ground — crushed
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fall — the season
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — the earth
  22. spring — the season
  23. ground — a position
  24. rush — to hurry

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