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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — a company
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pop — soda
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fall — the season
  20. pop — to visit
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. pop — music
  24. firm — decided

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