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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — high quality
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — decided
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stand — to bear
  19. firm — a company
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fine — all right
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. kid — child
  24. wax — to grow

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