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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hand — in cards
  9. present — there
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rest — a break
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. snap — to click
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ground — a position
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. present — a gift
  23. hand — help
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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