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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tear — to rip
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. firm — a company
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — decided
  15. fine — high quality
  16. firm — steady
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. board — a committee
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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