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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 are we going to ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. firm — decided
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — a break
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. firm — a company
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — hasty
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. land — ground
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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