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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. firm — decided
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spring — the season
  12. firm — a company
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wax — to grow
  15. spring — of water
  16. spell — letters
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lean — thin
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. foot — the bottom

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