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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. spell — magic
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. firm — steady
  7. rush — hurry
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. firm — a company
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. spell — letters
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. current — happening now
  16. firm — decided
  17. spell — a short time
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fine — all right
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — a thrill
  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