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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. track — a song
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. key — the most important part
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. key — in music
  24. track — a path

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