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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. firm — a company
  3. pop — soda
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. firm — decided
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. object — an aim
  11. wax — to grow
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — steady
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pop — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. tear — to rip
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — magic

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