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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pass — a permit
  6. object — a thing
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. ground — a position
  14. wax — to grow
  15. object — to protest
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. present — there
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ground — the earth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. object — an aim

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