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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. firm — decided
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. firm — a company
  8. chip — for betting
  9. land — to come down
  10. chip — to eat
  11. face — to confront
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. land — a country
  18. face — to point toward
  19. firm — steady
  20. wind — moving air
  21. land — ground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. calf — a young animal

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