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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. land — a country
  10. firm — steady
  11. wax — to grow
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. firm — decided
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. firm — a company
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. bark — to shout

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