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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cap — of ice
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wax — to grow
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lean — thin
  22. pound — a weight
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. suit — in cards

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