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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. firm — a company
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bass — low music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cell — in biology
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. firm — steady
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spell — magic
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spell — letters

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