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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. firm — steady
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stock — shares
  7. pass — a permit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. firm — decided
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. wind — moving air
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. snap — to click
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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