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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. season — in sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — for sport
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. field — a subject
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tube — a container
  21. season — of the year
  22. field — farmland
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — to add flavour

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