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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — in cards
  12. file — a document
  13. tube — a container
  14. band — a music group
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. band — a ring
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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