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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. firm — steady
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — high quality
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. firm — a company
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. firm — decided
  21. track — a path
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — for a hammer

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