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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hand — help
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. spring — the season
  6. firm — a company
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — a series
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wax — to grow
  14. firm — decided
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — a committee
  18. firm — steady
  19. board — to get on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spring — of water
  24. rule — a law

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