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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. charge — a price
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. charge — in control
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lean — thin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lean — to rest against

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