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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. hand — help
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — a position
  11. net — for catching
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ground — crushed

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