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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 124 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ground — crushed
  3. object — an aim
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mug — a face
  13. ground — a position
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — to protest
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ground — the earth
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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