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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. tube — the underground
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — a container
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bound — obliged
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wax — in the ear

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