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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. snap — to click
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pop — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. pop — soda
  24. bear — to put up with

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