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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wax — to grow
  3. firm — a company
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. race — the arms race
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — humankind
  10. drill — army training
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — happy
  13. drill — a practice
  14. race — a contest
  15. firm — decided
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. scale — in music

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