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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. firm — a company
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — steady
  9. tube — the underground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — government
  18. ground — a position
  19. rule — a law
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. sharp — clever

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