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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — ground
  6. firm — steady
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. snap — to click
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — a country
  18. firm — decided
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wax — to grow
  21. firm — a company
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. land — to come down
  24. safe — a strongbox

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