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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. charge — in control
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. charge — a price
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ball — a great time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. swing — to play on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. charge — electricity
  22. plane — a tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. swing — music

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