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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mark — a grade
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. staff — employees
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — a stick
  8. firm — decided
  9. wax — to grow
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — to wash
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. shower — rain
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. firm — steady
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tube — the underground
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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