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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — a company
  4. lean — thin
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. firm — steady
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — to grow
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. temple — a place of worship

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