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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. firm — decided
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wind — moving air
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kid — child
  22. hand — in cards
  23. firm — steady
  24. hand — part of the body

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