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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wax — to grow
  3. field — a subject
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — thin
  7. tube — a container
  8. field — for sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. foot — a measure
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rush — hurry
  18. firm — a company
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. firm — decided
  22. field — farmland
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. firm — steady

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