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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. firm — decided
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — a container
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — letters
  23. tube — the underground
  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