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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. row — a line
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kid — to tease
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — steady
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — wild animals
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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