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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rash — a series
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pass — a permit
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wax — to grow
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — steady
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chest — a box
  20. firm — decided
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rule — government
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rash — hasty

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