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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rash — hasty
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — a series
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. firm — steady
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — to grow
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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