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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — low music
  22. firm — decided
  23. rest — a break
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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