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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 124 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. firm — a company
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. key — the most important part
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — to grow
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — steady
  14. pound — a weight
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — rain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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