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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. firm — decided
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. land — a country
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to click
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — for digging
  19. land — to come down
  20. firm — a company
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. land — ground
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wax — to grow

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