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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. firm — steady
  6. degree — temperature
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — an aim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — a company
  14. fall — the season
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wax — to grow
  23. degree — from a university
  24. object — a thing

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