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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. field — farmland
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wound — an injury
  18. field — a subject
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pound — a weight
  21. toast — bread
  22. field — for sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — soda

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