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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. game — wild animals
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wax — to grow
  10. game — a match
  11. firm — a company
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. firm — decided
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. charge — a price
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fine — a penalty

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