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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 124 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spell — a short time
  3. firm — decided
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. firm — steady
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. spell — magic
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bear — the animal
  19. game — a match
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spell — letters
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. firm — a company

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