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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 · season · pitcher · date · board · lie · tear · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — a committee
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. season — in sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. season — of the year
  17. board — to get on
  18. ground — a position
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — to add flavour

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