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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. land — ground
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. firm — decided
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fine — all right
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tear — to rip
  19. land — to come down
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. firm — steady
  23. mate — a friend
  24. firm — a company

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