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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fall — the season
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rule — government
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. rule — a law
  18. ground — a position
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — crushed
  21. kick — in football
  22. ground — the earth
  23. firm — a company
  24. rule — to rule out

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