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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — magic
  4. rule — government
  5. spell — a short time
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — help
  9. spell — letters
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rule — a law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. firm — a company
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — a country
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rule — to rule out

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