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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mark — a grade
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mark — a trace
  16. key — in music
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. firm — decided
  22. bound — certain
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bound — obliged

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