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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — a position
  3. scale — in music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. game — wild animals
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ground — the earth
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tear — to rip
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rock — music
  24. wax — to grow

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