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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — a company
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — to tease
  15. firm — steady
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. firm — decided
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stand — to bear

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