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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — steady
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chip — to eat
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bass — low music
  18. firm — a company
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. firm — decided
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pass — a permit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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