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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — a position
  4. key — the most important part
  5. board — a committee
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mine — for digging
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — to get on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. key — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. key — for a lock
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. calf — a young animal

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