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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. clip — for paper
  6. current — happening now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — of water
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. firm — steady
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. current — electric
  18. clip — a video
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — a company
  21. staff — employees
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pitch — completely
  24. staff — a stick

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