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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. root — the cause
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stand — to bear
  13. root — of a plant
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tear — from crying
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. present — there
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitch — completely
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — a gift
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — a sports field

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