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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. content — the amount
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — to grow
  15. firm — decided
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. content — happy
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a hole
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — steady

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