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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — electric
  13. field — a subject
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. field — farmland
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — for sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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