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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — boats
  11. drill — a practice
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. drill — army training
  15. stand — to bear
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. land — to come down
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — the tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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