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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. firm — decided
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. firm — steady
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — a company
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pass — a permit
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tube — in a tire
  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