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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — a company
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. firm — decided

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