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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. snap — to click
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ground — crushed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bass — low music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — music

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