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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. firm — decided
  5. cold — not warm
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. root — of a word
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — to grow
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. vault — a safe
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. firm — a company
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. racket — for tennis

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