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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pop — soda
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pop — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pop — to visit

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