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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spring — of water
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — a gift
  5. firm — steady
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. object — a thing
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spring — the season
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rule — government
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. firm — a company
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — decided
  22. present — there
  23. rule — a law
  24. object — to protest

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