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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — a series
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fine — all right
  14. ground — a position
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rule — a law

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