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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: pop · deal · ground · toast · press · craft · wax · wound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. craft — a skill
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. press — a publisher
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. press — to push
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. craft — boats
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pop — to visit
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pop — music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. press — newspapers
  20. toast — bread
  21. pop — soda
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ground — a position

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