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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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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: ground · rash · pound · wax · fine · plane · mug · rest

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mug — a face
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ground — the earth
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — a series
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ground — a position
  16. rest — a break
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mug — to rob
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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