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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. row — to paddle
  3. band — a ring
  4. wax — to grow
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. row — a line
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — to crush
  14. firm — decided
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wake — a trail
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a music group
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. band — a rubber band

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