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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — certain
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bound — tied together

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