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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lean — to bend
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lean — thin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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