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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — a series
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. ground — a position
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — to grow
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — letters
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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