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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — to grow
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. firm — a company
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. firm — decided
  10. club — for golf
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spring — the season
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. club — a group
  21. shower — rain
  22. spring — of water
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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