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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 116 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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. firm — a company
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stock — goods
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rest — a break
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bass — low music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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