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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stock — shares
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — decided
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — a company
  10. fine — all right
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stock — goods
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stock — a soup base

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