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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
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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: land · wound · ruler · mouse · press · ground · rock · wax

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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 — crushed
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. ground — a position
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rock — music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. land — a country
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. press — to push
  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