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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. race — a contest
  4. firm — decided
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — magic
  7. firm — steady
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — to grow
  10. charge — in control
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — a short time
  18. race — humankind
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. spell — letters
  23. race — the arms race
  24. charge — a price

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