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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. spell — magic
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. field — for sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fine — all right
  14. firm — a company
  15. ground — a position
  16. firm — decided
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — steady
  19. spell — letters
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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