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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — steady
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. firm — a company
  12. spell — letters
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mate — to breed
  15. staff — a stick
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — to grow
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — to recline
  21. spell — magic
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. firm — decided
  24. staff — employees

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