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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: racket · wax · press · calf · sharp · spell · safe · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ground — a position
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — letters
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spell — magic
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ground — crushed
  19. press — to push
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — a short time

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