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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — in music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spring — the season
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — steady
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. spring — a coil
  15. object — an aim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hand — help
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. object — a thing
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — to protest

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