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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — decided
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bore — to drill
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — a company
  15. object — a thing
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — steady
  19. object — to protest
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. object — an aim
  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