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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rock — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ball — a great time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ground — a position
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ball — a dance
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — crushed
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. tear — from crying
  23. press — newspapers
  24. tear — from crying

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