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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · lie · wax · chip · ground · bulb · season · bear

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — for betting
  17. season — in sport
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. season — of the year
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — to eat

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