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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. firm — a company
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pop — to visit
  5. field — for sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. firm — decided
  9. pop — music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pop — soda
  14. field — farmland
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. firm — steady
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. field — a subject
  21. face — to point toward
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

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