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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chest — a box
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. firm — a company
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. capital — a big letter

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