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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ground — a position
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rock — music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rock — a stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mine — for digging
  18. kick — in football
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wax — for sculpting

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