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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bank — for money
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. firm — a company
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. firm — steady
  10. object — to protest
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — a price
  15. object — an aim
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — a thing
  18. firm — decided
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. last — final
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bank — for money

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