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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ground — a position
  3. wax — to grow
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cap — a lid
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — a practice
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — army training
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cap — a hat

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