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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — to grow
  5. club — a group
  6. lean — thin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — for golf
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mate — to breed
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pit — a hole
  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