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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — to grow
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. degree — an amount
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chip — for betting
  11. file — a tool
  12. degree — from a university
  13. chip — to eat
  14. file — a document
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pop — music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — to visit
  24. sharp — exactly

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