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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 116 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. court — for sport
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spell — a short time
  6. court — of law
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. firm — decided
  16. court — of a king
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. root — the cause
  21. firm — a company
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spell — magic

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