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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — a company

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