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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pass — a permit
  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