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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cue — for pool
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pound — for dogs

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