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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spell — letters
  6. press — newspapers
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rush — hurry
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. press — to push
  13. ground — a position
  14. spell — a short time
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rash — on the skin
  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