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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. spell — magic
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spell — a short time
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spell — letters
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fine — all right
  24. plane — a tool

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