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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fall — to drop
  4. suit — to fit
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — the season
  7. court — of law
  8. firm — steady
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. firm — a company
  14. field — a subject
  15. fall — to drop
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. court — of a king
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. field — for sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. wax — to grow
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — for sport
  24. branch — of a tree

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