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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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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: tear · toast · season · bay · ground · wave · wax · cap

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — in sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ground — crushed
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ground — a position
  19. toast — bread
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. season — of the year
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cap — of ice

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