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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — to handle
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bound — certain
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  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