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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spell — letters
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spell — magic
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. drill — a practice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. drill — army training
  24. firm — a company

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