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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — to protest
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — a company
  7. swing — to play on
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cold — not warm
  11. firm — steady
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. object — a thing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. firm — decided
  17. cold — an illness
  18. swing — music
  19. toast — bread
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. object — an aim
  23. swing — in golf
  24. perch — for a bird

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