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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. object — to protest
  6. key — the most important part
  7. firm — decided
  8. key — for a lock
  9. firm — steady
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. firm — a company
  14. object — an aim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — in music
  17. object — a thing
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lean — thin
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. lean — to bend

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