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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wax — to grow
  3. last — finally
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. last — to go on
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cap — a lid
  12. last — final
  13. staff — a stick
  14. firm — decided
  15. bound — certain
  16. wound — an injury
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — tied together
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — steady
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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