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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — a company
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fall — the season
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. firm — steady
  12. rest — a break
  13. wax — to grow
  14. firm — decided
  15. spell — letters
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spell — magic
  21. pit — in a race
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spell — a short time
  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