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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rash — hasty
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ground — a position
  16. march — music
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kick — in football
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lean — to bend

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