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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spell — magic
  4. firm — a company
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. firm — steady
  7. spell — letters
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lie — to recline
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. object — a thing
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. object — an aim

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