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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hand — in cards
  6. firm — decided
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — a partner
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. swing — music
  17. field — for sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hand — help

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