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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. firm — a company
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — not warm
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fine — all right
  19. firm — decided
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — steady
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fine — a penalty

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