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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. firm — steady
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — the underground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. snap — to click
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — to grow
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. firm — a company
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tube — a container
  19. firm — decided
  20. fall — the season
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. sharp — clever
  24. temple — a place of worship

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