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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: wax · mate · pop · pass · hide · nail · pitcher · ground

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — soda
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — a position
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — animal 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