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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bound — tied together
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a friend
  8. firm — decided
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a line
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rest — a break
  18. bound — certain
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bound — obliged
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mate — to breed

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