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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. firm — a company
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rash — hasty
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pound — a weight
  14. craft — boats
  15. hand — help
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rash — a series
  18. firm — steady
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chair — a leader

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