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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to bend
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lean — thin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rule — a law
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. board — to get on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — a committee
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rule — government
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wave — with your hand

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