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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fall — the season
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pop — soda
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pop — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ground — a position
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. suit — clothes

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