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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — electric
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — to fit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — to grow
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. current — of water
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. suit — clothes
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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