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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ground — a position
  5. firm — steady
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chest — a box
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cue — a signal
  16. firm — decided
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. firm — a company
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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