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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — steady
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — letters
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spell — magic
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spell — a short time
  22. firm — decided
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wax — to grow

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