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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. firm — a company
  3. wax — to grow
  4. last — to go on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. drill — army training
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — a permit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. firm — decided
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. firm — steady

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