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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ground — a position
  5. foot — a measure
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. march — the month
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ground — the earth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. tear — from crying
  24. content — happy

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