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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. band — a ring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — to grow
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. pitch — completely
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a music group
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — steady
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — for sculpting

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