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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. row — a line
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fall — the season
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cap — a lid
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — decided
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wave — of the sea

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